Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-51 - timeline, campaign table, specifications, commanding officers, disposal; history extract credited to 'LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II' (Turner Publishing, 1997) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14051.htm: LSM-1 Class header block, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 22 June 1944 at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX; launched 24 July 1944; commissioned USS LSM-51, 11 August 1944, LT. James O. Potts Jr. USN in command. Asiatic-Pacific campaigns: Leyte operation (Leyte landings 19-29 November 1944; Ormoc Bay landing 7-8 December 1944); Luzon operation (Lingayen Gulf landing 16-18 January 1945); Manila Bay-Bicol operations (El Farile [sic - El Fraile], Manila Bay, 13 April 1945); Borneo operation (Brunei Bay, 10-14 June 1945); Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines (Mindanao Island landings 12 July 1945). Occupation service in the Far East 11 September - 13 November 1945. Decommissioned 8 May 1946 at Terminal Island, San Pedro, CA. Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown. Earned five battle stars for WWII service. Sold 11 February 1948 to Charles Weaver & Co., Detroit, MI, for conversion to a barge; ran aground 29 March 1953 off Bodega Head, CA, and broke up. Specifications: 520 t. light / 743 t. landing / 1,095 t. full; 203'6" ovl; beam 34'6"; 13.2 kts max; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted; 1x2 40mm + 4x1 20mm; two Fairbanks Morse 38D8 diesels, direct drive, twin screws, 2,800 shp.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1953
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); commissioned crew (Aug 1944 - May 1946); barge-conversion trades and commercial operators (1948-53)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation keyed to the Turner Publishing LSM/LSMR history extract - authoritative for milestone dates but not a primary registry. 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown' leaves the strike date open. The 1953 grounding is stated by this source alone - no independent corroboration located (not in the California State Lands Commission shipwreck database). Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-01
-
[2]HyperWar, 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' - USS LSM-51 data sheet (Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation) [other_primary]
- Locator
- HyperWar USN/ships/LSM/LSM-51.html specification lines
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Independent secondary corroboration for this hull: 'Built at Brown Shipbuilding, Huston [sic - Houston], Tex., and commissioned 11 August 1944.' Data sheet: 900 tons loaded; 203'6" x 34'; draft 6'11" fwd / 3'5" aft landing, 4'5" fwd / 7'11" aft full load; 13.3 knots; capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, 6 LVTs, or 9 DUKWs; 54 troops; complement 52.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (sheet coverage)
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Compiled data sheet (secondary), not a primary registry. Complement of 52 conflicts with NavSource's itemized 5 officers + 54 enlisted (59) and with the 4+54 common in class literature - carried in gaps. 'Huston' is a typographical error for Houston. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-02
-
[3]NHHC, 'LSM and LSM(R) Histories' (DANFS appendix page, 16 September 2005) - archived Wayback capture; live history.navy.mil URL returns 404 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC lsm-lsmr.html (Wayback 20150615043803); HyperWar dafs/LSM/ transcription set
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC documents why no DANFS entry exists for this hull: the 1950s DANFS writing project 'was designed to cover only commissioned Navy ships with assigned names,' and 'ships with only a designation, such as LSM, were not included in the DANFS series.' The Ships History Office instead scanned an LSM/LSM(R) history compiled by Captain James B. Birindelli, SC, USNR (Ret.) - distributed only as non-searchable Acrobat files on CD-ROM SH-0068 (mail-order, $10, Naval Historical Center, Ships History Branch).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2005 (page); DANFS policy 1950s
- Limitations
- This is a documentation-coverage statement, not ship content: it establishes that the standard DANFS reference contains no LSM-51 entry and that the compiled substitute history is not publicly digitized. Whether the Birindelli CD contains an LSM-51 narrative was not verified - the transcription subset on HyperWar (LSM-5, -15, -102, -137, -152, -176, -251, et al.) does not include LSM-51. Live NHHC URL 404s; Wayback capture of 2015-06-15 used.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-03
-
[4]War Diary of USS LSM-51, File No. LSM51/A16-3, Serial 07, 2 April 1945, signed James O. Potts Jr., Lt. USN - declassified NARA document; partial transcription published by Batangas History blog [other_primary]
- Locator
- batangashistory.date post of 5 Jan 2018 transcribing War Diary LSM51/A16-3 Serial 07 (1 March - 1 April 1945); underlying document at NARA
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- This hull's own war diary survives in the National Archives. The transcribed March 1945 diary documents a cargo run: shifted to Lingayen Gulf 22 March 1945, joined convoy NLY-106 with cargo for Batangas Bay; convoyed via Balayan Bay/Lemery 27-28 March; beached near Batangas City at 1044 on 30 March, retracted at 2230 on word of Japanese sniper patrols, rebeached 2318, completed unloading 0015 on 31 March and returned via Manila Bay to Subic Bay. The transmittal is signed by CO Lt. James O. Potts Jr. and addressed to CinC U.S. Fleet with copies to CinCPac, Com7thFleet, ComAdComd7thPhib, ComLSMFlot7, ComLSMGrp19.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- March 1945
- Population
- LSM-51 crew, March 1945 (~52-59 per conflicting sources)
- Limitations
- Archival lead verified through a partial transcription on a private blog, not through the NARA catalog itself - the blogger states the war diary is 'online at the United States National Archives' (WWII war-diaries series), but the catalog page was not directly pulled this session. Only dates relevant to Batangas were transcribed. Operational detail only - no asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-04
-
[5]U.S. Army Signal Corps photographs, National Archives: SC 205913 and SC 205915 (captions transcribed in NavSource photo entries, credited to Dave Kerr) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14051.htm photo captions (SC 205913, SC 205915); NARA Still Picture Branch
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA-held Signal Corps photography documents this hull's most notable action: USS LSM-51 alongside Fort Drum in Manila Bay on 13 April 1945 during the assault on the fort - infantry landing via a specially built ramp from LSM-51's bridge to the top of the wall, covering engineers during operations to eliminate the Japanese garrison of 'El Farile' (El Fraile), with approximately 3,200 gallons of an oil-gasoline mixture dumped into the fort and ignited by a 600-lb TNT charge. Two LCTs stood off to transfer troops.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 13 April 1945
- Population
- LSM-51 crew plus embarked Army infantry/engineer detachments, April 1945
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: photo identifiers (SC 205913, SC 205915) transcribed from NavSource captions; the NARA catalog entries (JS-rendered) were not independently fetched this session. Photographs establish presence and role in the Fort Drum assault, not material content. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-05
-
[6]U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History magazine (June 2025, Vol. 39 No. 3), 'The Brown Shipbuilding Company's Rise During World War II' - archived Wayback capture; live usni.org page returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI Naval History June 2025 article (Wayback 20250620102600); navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/shipyards/emergencylarge/brown.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Builder context for this hull's 1944 construction: Brown Shipbuilding Company, Houston, was established in 1941 by George and Herman Brown of Brown & Root; the yard on Greens Bayou off the Houston Ship Channel held Navy contracts for submarine chasers, destroyer escorts, and landing craft; it was the second-largest employer in the Houston area during WWII and launched vessels sideways from narrow slips. A shipbuilding-data compilation (navalmarinearchive.com, live-verified 2026-10-02) credits Brown with 12 PCs, 32 LCI(L)s, 61 DEs, and 254 LSMs - 359 vessels in four years - and records the yard leased to Todd Shipyards in 1949.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1941-1949
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding workforce (1941-45), second-largest Houston employer
- Limitations
- Builder-level context, not a hull record - the article does not name LSM-51. USNI content verified via Wayback capture (live page 403 to automated fetch from this network). The 254-LSM/359-vessel output figures come from navalmarinearchive.com's Brown yard page (secondary compilation), cited here as corroboration, not USNI. No asbestos content - the yard's wartime material practices are described in general terms only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-06
-
[7]navalmarinearchive.com (ShipbuildingHistory-style compilation), 'Landing Ships Medium LSM' hull-by-hull table - LSM-51 row [other_primary]
- Locator
- navalmarinearchive.com LSM table, LSM-51 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Independent secondary corroboration of this hull's builder and post-Navy disposition: LSM-51 - Brown Shipbuilding, Houston TX; commissioned 11-Aug-44; 'Sold to Charles Weaver & Co. 1948, converted to barge.' Matches NavSource's 11 February 1948 sale date and barge conversion.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948 (row coverage)
- Population
- commercial barge operators (1948-53)
- Limitations
- Volunteer shipbuilding-data compilation (secondary); corroborates NavSource but does not independently document the 1953 wreck. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-07
-
[8]USS LSM-51 / LSM-LSMR Association ship site - crew roster, war-diary-derived narratives, photo archive ('For Sale' paint story, Lemery beach, Fort Drum) [other_primary]
- Locator
- usslsm51.com home page, roster table, story links (lsm51d.html Brunei narrative; 'LSM For Sale' story)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The veterans' association site for this hull preserves crew-facing primary material: a crew roster (officers Potts, Treece, Dickson, Ellsworth; named enlisted men), war-diary-derived narratives including the June 1945 Brunei Bay beaching/retraction with a fouled propeller cleared by improvised diving, and the 'FOR SALE' hull-painting episode at San Pedro Bay, Leyte (1945) corroborated by a NavSource photo caption. Linked as NavSource's 'USS LSM-51 web site' resource.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1946 (coverage)
- Population
- LSM-51 officers and crew named in roster
- Limitations
- Archival lead, not an official source: a veterans' association site hosting reproduced documents and narratives. Site content supports crew/experience history; nothing on it establishes material content or asbestos. Crew-roster names were not cross-checked against muster rolls.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-08
-
[9]Era inference built on: NavSource/HyperWar spec blocks (LSM-1 class, Fairbanks-Morse or GM Cleveland diesels, direct drive, no steam plant); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era documentation (ev-09); June 1944 construction date at a wartime emergency yard [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource/HyperWar specification blocks; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A Landing Ship Medium built June-August 1944 sits squarely inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard applications aboard a diesel amphibious hull of this period were thermal insulation on exhaust/muffler runs, machinery-space lagging, gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation. As a direct-drive diesel vessel she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; the relevant pathway is machinery/exhaust insulation and gasketing in a small enclosed hull.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1953
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46); barge-conversion trades (1948); wreck-site salvagers/surf-zone environment (1953)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LSM-51. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-09
-
[10]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction (1944) and commissioned service (1944-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, confirmed 2026-10-02 - standing block also logged in BATCH-01/98); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-10
-
[11]Batch-6319 search ledger (this record): NavSource; HyperWar datasheet + Birindelli-transcription check; NHHC DANFS appendix (archived); NARA war diary via transcription; NARA SC photo leads; USNI via Wayback; navalmarinearchive; CSLC shipwreck database; CourtListener API v4 (opinions + dockets); secondary web litigation sweep; GAO product page (blocked) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-01 through -14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LSM-51 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener was searched this session via authenticated API v4: 'LSM-51', 'USS LSM-51', and 'LSM 51' returned zero opinions; docket search returned one hit, Cowe v. Lynch, Brewer, Hoffman and Sands (D. Mass., 1:04-cv-11520, contract action) where 'LSM 51' appears only as OCR garbage inside a marshal's process-receipt form - a name collision, not the ship, not asbestos. The California State Lands Commission shipwreck database contains no LSM-51 entry, so the 1953 Bodega Head wreck rests on NavSource/Turner alone. The only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content (mesothelioma.net's Brown Shipbuilding page and ship-listicle pages) asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - no LSM-51-specific material survey exists to consult. The wreck hulk itself is a closed lead: whether any hull material survived the 1953 breakup in the Bodega Head surf zone is undocumented. Deck logs (RG 24), BuShips work files, and the Birindelli compiled history (CD-ROM SH-0068) are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-51-lsm51-11